Two-way clothespin



June 1, 1943. w, sc w DL 2,320,894

TWO-WAY CLOTHESPIN Filed Oct. 27, 1942 INVENTOR. Will'am Schwedler BY H-mwyy. Q-W

Patented June 1, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TWO-WAY CLOTHESPIN William Schwedler, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application October 27, 1942, Serial No. 463,451

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in clothes pins and more specifically to two-way clothes pins; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to provide a clothes pin of this character which will engage the clothes line with one end and the clothes with its other end thus preventing the clothes from coming in direct contact with the clothes line so that no dirt can be transferred from the clothes line to the clothes; second, the production of a device of this character which consists of only five simple parts, but durable and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which such devices are usually subjected; third, to afford facilities for a ready interchanging of the resilient means used in my device whenever said resilient means should become worn out; and fourth, to protect the resilient means from humidity so that they will not get rusty.

Further objects of the instant invention reside in any novel feature of construction or operation or novel combination of parts present in the embodiment of the invention described and shown in the accompanying drawing whether within or without the scope of the appended claims and irrespective of other specific statements as to the scope of the invention contained herein.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of my two-way 1 clothes pin as it appears when in normal position; Fig. 2 is a plan view of th device; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my two-way clothes pin as it appears when pressure is exerted upon one of its ends.

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the several views.

My device consists of a center member I, the ends 2 and 3 of which are formed on opposite sides as is customary for the clothes engaging part of one half of a normal clothes pin; and of the outer members 4 and 5, each of which is formed as a half of a normal clothes pin and is adapted to cooperate with the center member I. The outer members 4 and 5 are connected to the center member I by resilient means in such a manner that the clothes or rope engaging parts 6 and l of the outer members are normally parts pressed against the center member I, whereas the ends 8 and 9 of the outer members 4 and 5 are spaced apart from the center member I (Fig. l).

I prefer to carry out this feature of my invention in the manner shown in the drawing, where it will be seen that the middle of the center member I is wider than its ends and is provided with slots I0 and H, and that the outer members 4 and 5 are provided with corresponding slots l2 and I l, and that resilient means-preferably springs l5 and I6-are affixed in these slots. To allow the springs to bend when pressure is exerted upon either end of the outer members and to avoid a sharp bending of a spring, which could result in the breaking of a spring, I prefer to make the slots wider than is necessary to receive the springs and to embed the springs in an elastic adhesive substance 11, for instance a mixture of rubber and glue which remains elastic after it becomes dry.

In Fig. 3 my two-way clothes pin is shown in full lines in a position when pressure is exerted upon the left ends of the outer parts 4 and 5, and in dash-and-dotted lines in a position when pressure is exerted upon the right ends of the outer members.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions .and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

A two-way clothes pin comprising a combination of a center member and a pair of co-acting levers formed with opposite seats and arranged upon opposite sides of the center member, fiat springs adapted to connect pivotall y saidlevers to said center member, and an elastic adhesive substance holding said springs in slots provided in said center member and levers, said elastic adhesive substance covering entirely the broad sides of said springs, substantially as set forth.

WILLIAM SCHWEDLER. 

